ENGLISH
REFERENCE

apples and pears

idiom
Slang Cockney rhyming slang · East London
Meaning

stairs


Origin

To the Cockney, the phrase "steps and stairs" describes the idea of gradation. Every good costermonger has skill in displaying the front of his stall. The selected samples of fruit and vegetables are expertly graded in "steps and stairs". Apples and pears, when in season, are common on each barrow and, when polished, create an arresting display.

Examples
SIMPLE

I am going up the apples and pears to my bedroom.

CONTEXTUAL

Be careful when you walk down the apples and pears because they are quite steep.

COMPLEX

He carefully navigated the creaky apples and pears, hoping to reach the attic without waking the rest of the house.

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    come down in stair rods

    To rain heavily in long streaks.

  2. 02

    missing stair

    A member of a community who is widely but privately known within that community for abusiveness or other harmful behavior that has not been addressed.

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